cerebri

Cerebri is the genitive singular form of the Latin noun cerebrum, meaning “of the brain.” In anatomical and medical terminology, cerebri is used as a linking form in compound names to indicate a relationship to the brain. It is not an English word by itself but a grammatical element that appears in Latin-derived terms.

Common examples include circulus cerebri (the Circle of Willis, the cerebral arterial circle), gyrus cerebri (a cerebral gyrus), sulcus cerebri (a brain sulcus), and pedunculus cerebri (the cerebral peduncle). These phrases illustrate how cerebri attaches to a base noun to specify “brain” as the domain or possessor.

Etymology and related forms: cerebrum is the Latin noun for “brain,” and from it, the adjective cerebral is derived. The genitive form cerebri denotes possession and is frequently encountered in historic and modern Latin anatomical names, especially in neurology and neuroanatomy. In contemporary usage, English-language texts more often employ the adjective cerebral rather than the Latin cerebri in everyday writing.

Usage and context: Cerebri occurs primarily within formal, Latinized nomenclature in textbooks, anatomical labels, and scholarly articles. It reflects the long-standing practice of using Latin in anatomical naming to provide precise, globally recognizable descriptors for brain-related structures.